Spring-cushion.



W. W. VINENY..

SPRING CUSHION. APPucmlou man Am, wu.

Tabbed Da. 4l, MM?.

iennirr tinten WILLIAM W. VINCENT, OF KENOS-IA, WSCONSIN, ASSIGNR T0 THE'VINCENT-ALVTARD COMPANY, OF KENOSHA, WSCGNSIN, A CGRERATION OFWISCONSIEN.

SPRING-CUSHION.

1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led April 4, 1917. Serial No. 159,833.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. ViNcnN ri, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Kenosha, in the county of Kenosha and State of Vlisconsin,`have invented certain new and useful improvements in Spring- Cushions7of which `the following is a specification. i i

Myinvention concerns various features of novelty and value inresilientcushions, especially, but not exclusively, suchY as are used for thebacks .of automobile and similar seats, and ordinarily composed of abank or set of spiral-springssuitably fastened` together and coveredwith a hair-filled or similar cushion forming a part of the springstructure, thus-requiring a maximum quantity of hair or other filling tomaintain a rounded or curved contour which would sag, and in any case,would limit the flexibility or compression of the spring according tothe amount of filling material used. This problem, which has heretoforebeen unsatis* factorily dealt with and remained unsolved until theinception of the present invention, resided in the difliculty ofconstructiong a spring structure of this type in a way to ad mit ofcomplete compression, unhindered by expensive hair or other substitutefillings, and at the saine time present a curved suporting-elementunder'all degrees of compression, thereby preventing sagging, whichsagging would prevent the springs from being completely collapsed orcompressed when occasion required, as well as injure the rounded orsmooth appearance of the structure. It is required, furthermore, thatthe top part of the cushion shall not only maintain its properly-shapedcontour when uncompressed, but shall compress fully and Without unduedistortion under pressure.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the spring-structure iscomposed of a plurality of hour-glass spiralsprings and their securingor fasteningmeans, except that the top row of such springs is composedof springs of a shape the reverse of hour-glass, that is to say, theyare longi tudinally convex instead of concave by reason of the centralconvclutions being of largest diameter with gradations in size to theends of the springs. Stated somewhat otherwise, the nicely roundedlongitudinal shapes of the uppermost springs are substantially that ofthe corresponding parts of the cushion. ln order to afford unhamperedcompression of these upper or inarginal springs, thus permitting thecushion to yield to a maximum extent, and yet holdy fication, andthroughout the various views of which like reference characters refer tothe same parts.

ln this drawing:

Figure l is an end view of the springstructure with the cushion shown indotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan of the appliance of Fig. l with the cushionomitted;

Fig. 3 illustrates in elevation the manner of securing the longitudinaltop wires to the corresponding convelutions of the upper spiral springsas viewed from line of Fig. 2. i

Fig. t is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawii'ig, it will be observed that the Spiral-springs10, 10, of all of the rows, except the top row, are of hour` glass ordouble-cone form with their ends suitably fastened to and locked againstdisplacement with respect to the front and back wire frames ll and l2respectively. These helical springs may be of any desired conformationand obviously, the shapes of the springs are somewhat immaterial,although those of the style shown have distinct advantages wellrecognized in the trade. The spring-structure as a whole, is coveredwith a suitable fabric over which a cushion 13, ordinarily filled withhair, is positioned, and such cushion at the top usually has anicelyrounded contour transversely of the structure. ln this device, toprovide such con` tour to the cushion, the springs 14 of the top row arelongitudinally convex in general shape as shown, such springs desirablylofi having their middle convolutions of much larger size withgraduations in diameter therefrom toward both ends. The exact shape ofthe springs, of course, depends somewhat on the desired form of thesuper-- ltiall aarallel wires l5, l5 disnosed lenUtl wise the structurebut crosswise and above the springs proper to the coils ot which theyare rastened by bends, loops, kinks, or the like, is.

By thus forming the upper springs and connecting them together theshapevot the cushion at this point is maintained and the springstructure, nevertheless, is capable of complete collapse andcompression. Stated somewhat othewise, the means which prevents thecushion from sagging into and between the springs, in no way interfereswith the compression of the spring structure. Neither does it, bybowing, distort or otherwisek objectionably act upon the cushion duringthe spring` compression.

To those skilled in this art it will be obvious that many minormechanical changes may be incorporated into the structure Shown anddescribed without departure from the invention and without the sacrificeof any of its substantial beneits and advantages.

I claim:

1'. A spring-structure of the character described having4 a marginal rowof substantially-straight spiral-springs arranged transversely of thestructure, and means fastening together corresponding eonvolutions ofsaid springs and disposed transversely only of suoli springs,substantially as described.

2. A spring-structure of the character described having a marginal rowof substantially-st 1aight longitudinally-convex spiralsprings, andmeans disposed transversely only of said springs and secured to thecorresponding convolutions thereof, permitting unrestrained compressionof the springs, substantially as described.

3. In a spring-structure of the character described, the combination ofa plurality ol" rows of spiral-springs, a marginal row thereoltl beingequipped with means to prc vent sagging of a superposed cushion betweenthe convolutions thereof without restricting complete compression of thes Jrings, substantially as described.

4. ln a spring-structure oiE the character described having a marginalrow oi substantially st night, longitudinally curved spiral-springs, andmeans secured thereto preventing sagging of a superposed cushion betweenthe convolutions thereof without restricting complete compression of thesprings, substantially as described.

5. ln a spring-structure of the eharactei described having a topmarginal row of substantially straight, longitudinally curvedspiral-springs, and a plurality of substantially-parallel connectingmembers disposed at the tops of the springs of such marginal row andconnected to the corresponding convolutions thereof, whereby to preventsagging of the superposed cushion between such convolutionsyetpermitting complete compression of the springs, substantially asdescribed.

ILLIAM W. VINCENT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

